It hurts
by AirborneGirl
Summary: The pain in his hand was minor compared to the pain in his heart. Set during "Joseph", Scotty story. One-shot


**AN: **Hi everybody! This is my first Cold case fan fic. Yes, I found another couple I can take under my wings. I only started watching this show somewhere in the middle of season two, so forgive me if I get things wrong, but I think there's some real shippery dynamic going on between Lilly and Scotty. I thought I should give it a try.

**Spoilers: **Set during the episode "Joseph", after Scotty has visited Lilly at her house.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own either one of them, nor the episode. I just fill in the blanks.

_Here we go..._

**It hurts**

As he walked away from her house, balling his fists in suppressed anger and confusion, he could feel the muscles in his hands protest. But he ignored the pain as he kept on walking, faster and faster in his need to create some distance between himself and the home he'd just left.

Instead, he welcomed the increasing throbbing in his flexed fingers. This pain was a good kind, if there was such a thing. He did not for one moment regret beating the crap out of a pervert, lurking at a local playground. As far as he was concerned, his actions were justified. He might not be able to prevent bad stuff from happening to everyone in the city (he would be out of a job if he'd had that ability), but maybe, just maybe, one potential rapist would think twice and a few kids would not have to become a name on a box in the overstuffed evidence room of the PPD precinct.

Besides, concentrating on the pain in his hand took his mind off his other musings, if only for a while.

She had lied to him. Made him lie to his boss. And even though he himself was not above and beyond twisting the truth to match his needs (surely boss still thinks my injured hand is a result of a basketball game gone wrong?), he wasn't used to her doing the same thing. It was not how she operated.

Like hell it was. This was not the first time Lily Rush honored her last name by rushing headlong into a possibly dangerous situation without telling anyone, let alone looking back to make sure someone was there to back her up should she need it. Knowing Lil, she might not think she needed it at all.

But how well did he really know his partner? He'd always thought she was the kind he could rely on, no matter what, no matter how messed up his life got. Or hers. They could count on each other, right? They had each other's back?

Apparently not. She had been reluctant to let him in. To her house that is, he didn't even have the slightest illusion about being allowed into her life, her heart.

She had offered an explanation and weird as it was, he understood, or so he told her. Said the words out loud, so loud the noise of his own voice still reverberated in his ears with a maddening rhythm. He had offered no wisdom, had done nothing to try and talk her out of the potential disaster she was getting herself involved in.

Instead, he comforted her with his confession about his own troubled private life, grinning like a madman at his own skeletons.

Why?

Because he needed to make her feel better about herself. Needed to let her know he would be there. To give her the support he figured partners should give each other. To convince her he wasn't mad at her for lying to him and subsequently turning him into an accomplice.

Because he loved her.

Stuffing his hands in his pockets and wincing as the rough fabric brushed against the abrasions on his knuckles, Scotty Valens leaned against a wall in an abandoned alley, unable to move now that again, reality punched him in the gut.

Lil had lied. But so had he. He was mad. He was disappointed. Was concerned. And he would not now, not ever in his life, understand why Lil always ended up with yet another useless bum. Why she allowed all of the men in her life to lie and walk out, taking her dignity and pride in their strides. He laughed mirthlessly as the irony of including himself in that list did not escape him.

So yeah, he and Lil were tangled up in a partnership tied together with webs of lies and cover-ups.

But there was one thing he hadn't lied about:

It hurt like hell.

She would only never know he hadn't been referring to his hand…

**THE END**

_Reviews appreciated as always. Thanks for reading!_


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